Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Hazel's Cranberry Nut Bread


2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs hot water
2 Tbs melted crisco
1 cup cranberries cut in half
1 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup walnuts

Sift all dry ingredients
Add crisco, hot water and orange juice
add egg.
Add berries and nuts
Bake 325 for an hour and ten minutes.

Yummy with cream cheese and a cup of tea.
You can invite me over if you want
:)


Yummy Squash Soup


Here is the recipe for
Sweet Life's Hubbard Squash Soup with Shrimp Toast and Pumpkin Seed Oil
straight out of the Morning Glory Farm Cookbook

5lbs Hubbard squash (butternut can be substituted)
1 1/2 Tbs. Vegetable oil
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I omitted it)
1 tsp ground coriander seeds (I mistakenly bought the whole seed and put Griffy to work with the mortar and pestle)
1 Tbs. honey
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 -2 cups water or chicken stock 
Pumpkin seed oil for garnish..( ok, this is a splurge at 15 bucks a bottle...but SO worth it!)

Preheat oven to 375.
Cut squash in half, remove seed and strings. Drizzle veg. oil over the squash then sprinkle with cayenne pepper, coriander seeds and honey on cut sides.
Place squash cut side up in baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water. Cover with foil and cook for 1 hour. Remove foil and cook another 1/2 hour, caramelizing the squash.

Once squash is cooked, scoop out pulp. Melt butter over med. high heat whisking to make brown butter. Add pulp and apple cider. Continue to cook down while whisking. Whisk in 1 cup of water or stock.

Fill blender about halfway with mix..blend on low using a dishtowel as a cover to allow steam to evaporate...(this is where an immersion blender comes in handy :)

Add 1/2 cup water. Check consistency. Soup should be smooth and creamy not chunky. Add more liquid if too thick. Return to pot and heat through. 
Garnish with drizzled pumpkin seed oil.

I didn't make the shrimp toast because of time but plan on it!

12 med. raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
2 Tbs butter, softenend
2 slices white bread 
salt/pepper
chives chopped

Preheat oven broiler
Puree shrimp in food processor, pulsing to desired consistency. In a small bowl, blend butter with shrimp, using a spatula. Add salt/pepper
Spread on bread and put under broiler until golden, about 4 min. 
Let cool slightly and cut into crouton size pieces.
Add to soup with chives.
:)